Conventionally, the bacterial disinfection of fluids, such as water, air, fuel, other liquids and gases, and the like, is performed using ultraviolet (UV) lamps (or deep-UV lamps), such as low to medium pressure mercury lamps. For example, water may be disinfected using such lamps, for a germicidal effect, in a conventional point-of-use (POU) water filtration system. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of bacteria, viruses, cysts, and the like absorbs the UV radiation and the reproductive capabilities of the biological entities are thereby deactivated. Unlike chlorinated methods of water disinfection, the UV radiation does not impact the biological stability of the water. Thus, UV assisted water filtration has become a standard practice for germicidal benefit in water filtration systems, including the large reactors used in public water systems (PWSs), as well as the small POU water filtration systems. Comparable bacterial disinfection systems are used in conjunction with other fluids.
These bacterial disinfection systems, however, suffer from a number of significant shortcoming. First, the bacterial disinfection systems, because they use tubular UV lamps or the like, typically have high power requirements and large form factors, requiring that they utilize line voltage, represent separate components from associated fluid filtration systems, are not compatible with smaller form factor POU fluid filtration systems, and/or are not arbitrarily scalable. Second, the bacterial disinfection systems are inherently inefficient. The tabular UV lamps used emit photons that pass through the fluid and are absorbed by another surface or reflected once or twice and lost. The result is that photons must continually be generated and replaced. Further, the radiation field present is not uniform. High intensity is typically used in lamp based systems to compensate for losses and non-uniform radiation fields. Thus, what is still needed in the art is an improved bacterial disinfection system that addresses these shortcomings and provides other advantages.